DHJ Quick Take<\/p>\n
The Physical Education: Minnesota brought a playoff-caliber defensive blueprint to Dallas, using extreme physicality to hold Cooper Flagg to a tough 5-of-19 shooting night in the 124-94 loss.<\/p>\n
Teammate Support: Brandon Williams notched seven assists and even passed up an open layup to lob an alley-oop to the rookie, a veteran move to help him find a rhythm during a cold start.<\/p>\n
Bigger Picture: Rather than a setback, Daniel Gafford and Jason Kidd viewed the night as a vital \u201cphysical education\u201d for the young star as he prepares for postseason intensity.<\/p>\n
DALLAS \u2014 Cooper Flagg<\/a> usually has the answers. On Monday night at American Airlines Center, the Minnesota Timberwolves made him work for every one of them.<\/p>\n The rookie finished with 12 points on 5-of-19 shooting in a 124-94 loss. It was a grind from the jump. While the box score wasn\u2019t what he\u2019s used to, the talk in the locker room focused more on the education than the misses. <\/p>\n For the Dallas Mavericks<\/a>, the night was a learning experience for a rookie who has mostly made the first-year transition easy, averaging 20.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.2 steals in 63 games. <\/p>\n A Physical Blueprint Against Cooper Flagg <\/p>\n Minnesota came in with a plan. Before tip-off, Chris Finch admitted the staff had circled the forward on the scouting report.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a hell of a player and still trying to make a push down the stretch,\u201d Finch said. \u201cThe thing that\u2019s been most impressive all season is his motor. His size, physicality, and energy are all elite.\u201d<\/p>\n The defense played him tight. They crowded him on screens and made sure he felt a body every time he touched the ball. Brandon Williams<\/a> saw how the veteran squad went to work.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re extra physical,\u201d Williams said. \u201cThey blew up every screen. They talk, they trust one another, and like I said earlier, they\u2019re a playoff team. It showed out there.\u201d<\/p>\n The rookie missed his first four shots. With 6-foot-9, 249-pound Julius Randle<\/a> gearing up to get into the ball and stay attached to Flagg as the primary defender, the constant pressure took away Flagg\u2019s comfort zone early. Anytime Flagg was off-ball about to come off a stagger into a handoff, he was denied. Minnesota did just about anything possible to make it challenging for him to get to his spots, while being anchored by an elite rim protector in Rudy Gobert<\/a>. <\/p>\n